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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

•O 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


HINTS  to  the 
HUSBANDMAN 

REGARDING  OPPORTUNITIES 

7/7 

JTAH,  NEVADA*y?c/CALIFORNI> 


ALONG  THE  LINES 


\  \\\\ 

I  \ 


SAN  PEDRO 
'/       LOS  ANGELES  & 
(////  SALTLAKE&R. 


T  IS  OFTEN  SAID  tkat  from  agricul- 
ture  comes  the  only  substantial  basis  for 
the  building  or  any  commonwealth.  The 
object  in  issuing  tbis  book  is  to  present  a 
brief  but  accurate  description,  in  wordf 
and  illustrations,  of  tbe  wonderful  devel- 
opment and  agricultural  opportunities  along 
the  lines  of  tbe  Salt  Lake  Route  in  Utah,  Nevada  and 
California.  These  states  present  to  the  sefiler  and 
homeseeker  hundreds  of  opportunities  for  the  securing 
of  farms  and  ranches,  both  great  and  small,  either  al- 
ready producing  or  in  such  condition  as  to  permit  the 
owner  to  carry  out  every  phase  of  modern  development. 
It  is  a  short  story  of  the  possibilities  for  home  making 
for  men  of  moderate  means,  who  desire  to  carve  out  of 
the  lands  of  this  Great  \Vest  a  Garden  of  Eden,  such 
as  others  have  done,  and  thousands  of  others  will  do 
within  the  next  few  years. 


Published  by  tne  Industrial  Department  of  tne  San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles 
and  Salt  Lake  Railroad. 


DOUGLAS  WHITE 

General  Industrial  Agent 


T.  M.  SLOAN 

General  Freight  Agent 


PROF.  L.  A.  MERRILL 

Agricultural  Expert 

T.  C.  PECK 

General  Passenger  Agent 


H.  C.  NUTT,  General  Manager        F.  A.  WANN,  General  Traffic  Mgr. 


* 
Utak's   Fertile   Valleys 

fact  that  Utah  is  rapidly  coming  into  her  own  as  one  of  the 
greatest  agricultural  states  in  the  Union  is  apparent  to  everyone  who 
has  made  even  a  cursory  study  of  her  conditions. 

The   advancement  of  the   last   few  years   along   these   lines   has 
been  phenomenal. 

While  Utah  was  the  scene  of  the  first  irrigation  work  done  upon  this 
continent  by  Anglo-Saxons,  her  possibilities  have  only  just  begun  to  completely 
blossom.  By  means  of  expert  engineering,  modern  and  scientific  construction* 
the  proper  conservation  of  water  and  compelling  it  to  do  its  full  duty  to  the 
soil,  has  increased  the  productive  area  of  Utah  by  many  thousands  of  acres 
since  1910.  In  fact,  Utah  possesses  today  several  of  the  most  perfectly  con- 
structed and  carefully  operated  irrigation  projects  that  have  ever  demanded 
the  attention  of  the  homeseeker. 

In  every  one  of  the  counties  traversed  by  the  lines  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Route  Utah  presents  to  the  settler  unlimited  attractions  in  the  way  of  possibilities 
for  agricultural,  horticultural  or  stock-raising  development.  From  the  home- 
stead secured  by  the  settler  under  the  liberal  laws  of  our  Government,  to  the 
purchase  of  the  highest  grade  lands  located  under  the  very  latest  system  of 
water  development  and  carrying  perpetual  water  rights,  from  the  lands  to 
be  devoted  to  the  production  of  cereals  under  the  dry  farming  process,  to 
the  lands  producing  the  largest  possible  returns  from  either  intensive  farming 
or  fruit-raising,  throughout  the  entire  range  of  possibilities  Utah  presents  some- 
thing which  appeals  to  the  pocket  of  every  class  of  homeseeker  or  investor. 

In  addition  to  the  alluring  conditions  of  soil  and  water  comes  a  climate 
unexcelled  in  any  section  of  the  temperate  zone,  where  health  is  a  commodity 


A  VISTA  OF  ONE  OF  UTAH'S  FERTILE  VALLEYS. 


and  the  weather  reports  give  an  average  in  excess  of  300  sunshiny  days  out 
of  every  year. 

With  all  of  these  advantages,  Utah's  valleys  are  being  rapidly  filled  with 
conservative,  practical  husbandmen,  and  yet  there  are  within  the  limits  of  the 
state  unlimited  possibilities  for  the  man  who  wishes  to  combine  brain,  brawn 
and  a  little  capital  for  the  development  of  a  home. 


T 


Utah  County  and  tne  Strawberry  Valley  Project 

HE  Strawberry  Valley  project,  constructed  by  the  U.  S.  Reclamation 
Service,  will  irrigate  about  60,000  acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of 
Spanish  Fork  and  Payson,  on  the  southern  shore  x>f  Utah  Lake.  The 
districts  to  be  watered  are  about  equally  divided  between  mesa  and 
bottom  lands,  varying  in  elevation  from  4500  to  4800  feet;  most  of  them 
are  privately  owned,  the  only  government  land  being  located  northwest  of  Pay- 
son,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  West  Mountain.  The  project's  water  supply 
comes  from  the  Strawberry  and  Spanish  Fork  Rivers;  that  from  the  Straw- 
berry River  will  be  stored  in  Strawberry  Valley,  in  a  reservoir  whose  capacity 
is  280,000  acre-feet.  The  reservoir,  surrounded  by  high  mountains,  stands  at 
an  elevation  of  7,500  feet.  A  tunnel  1  9,900  feet  long,  lined  with  concrete 
and  with  a  capacity  of  600  second  feet,  conducts  the  flow  through  the  rim  of 
die  great  basin  into  Sixth  Water  Creek,  thence  via  Diamond  Creek  and  Spanish 
Fork  River  to  the  diversion  dam  near  the  mouth  of  Spanish  Fork  Canyon. 
At  that  point  a  power  plant  has  been  erected;  besides  supplying  electricity  for 
use  in  constructing  the  project,  it  furnishes  light  for  the  towns  of  Payson,  Salem 
and  Spanish  Fork,  and  will  be  put  to  further  use  in  pumping  irrigation  water. 
Any  surplus  water  from  the  project  may  be  employed  to  advantage  in  the 
Juab  Valley. 

The  districts  comprehended  by  the  Strawberry  Valley  project  will  produce 
apples,  peaches,  pears,  apricots,  cherries,  plums,  berries,  all  kinds  of  vegetable!, 
bay  and  grain ;  in  short,  they  will  compare  favorably  with  the  best  Utah  Valley 
land  already  under  cultivation.  With  the  completion  of  the  project,  privately 
•wned  lands  offered  six  or  seven  years  ago  at  $15.00  per  acre  have  assumed 
values  of  $100.00  per  acre  and  upwards. 

The  celebrated  Utah  Valley,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  as  well  as  one 
tf  the  most  fertile  valleys  in  the  West,  is  about  30  miles  long  and  1  5  miles 
Woad ;  it  is  limited  on  the  east  by  the  rugged  and  imposing  Wasatch  Mountains, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  Tintic  Range.  Lehi,  American  Fork,  Pleasant  Grove, 
Provo,  Springville,  Spanish  Fork,  Payson  and  Santaquin  are  the  chief  towns. 
These  fortunate  communities,  flourishing  amidst  charming  pastoral  scenes,  are 
surrounded  by  fruit  and  farm  lands  of  marvelous  richness.  The  bench  lands 
are  the  fruit  districts  and  the  bottom  lands  are  given  to  growing  grain,  alfalfa, 
potatoes  and  sugar  beets.  When  the  orchard  mesas  along  the  foot  of  the 
Wasatch  from  Lehi  to  Santaquin,  a  distance  of  60  miles,  are  wholly  devoted 
to  fruit  growing,  they  will  constitute  one  of  the  most  remarkable  horticultural 
regions  in  the  world. 


WHERE  FRUITS  AND  GRAIN  COMMINGLE,  UTAH  VALLEY. 

A  YOUNG  ORCHARD,  UTAH  VALLEY. 

ALFALFA  FIELD,  UTAH  VALLEY. 


Occupying  some  93,000  acres  of  the  floor  of  the  valley  are  the  waters 
of  Utah  Lake ;  upon  its  shores  stand  a  number  of  pumping  plants,  which  will 
supply  water  to  the  bench  lands  not  included  in  the  various  projects. 

The  lands  adjacent  to  Provo,  the  central  shipping  point  of  the  valley, 
may  be  considered  typical.  Mile  after  mile  of  orchards  greet  the  eye  and  from 
that  district  alone  1  500  carloads  of  fine  fruit  are  shipped  annually.  The  mean 
temperature  is  49.3°,  the  average  annual  precipitation  is  13.71  inches,  the 
elevation  4532  feet.  Peaches,  planted  135  trees  to  the  acre,  yield  8  to  10 
cases  per  tree;  cherries,  planted  80  to  1  00  trees  per  acre,  yield  up  to  $8.00  per 
tree.  Dewberries  yield  400  cases  per  acre;  strawberries,  400  to  600  double 
cases;  sugar  beets,  14  to  28  tons.  Dry-farm  wheat  measures  per  acre  25  to  45 
bushels;  irrigated  wheat,  50  to  60  bushels;  oats,  80  to  120  bushels;  barley, 
70  to  80  bushels.  Spanish  Fork  holds  the  world's  record  for  the  production 
of  barley  per  acre.  Three  crops  of  alfalfa  are  grown  annually,  yielding  6  to  8 
tons  of  hay  per  acre.  The  Elberta  is  considered  the  best  commercial  peach; 
among  the  apples  grown  profitably  are  the  Jonathan,  Rome  Beauty,  Ben  Davis, 
Gano,  Spitzenburg,  and  Winesap.  In  addition  to  the  fruits  mentioned,  apricots, 
plums,  pears  and  prunes,  together  with  raspberries,  yield  prolifically.  Potatoes 
produce  three,  four  and  five  hundred  bushels  per  acre ;  onions  bring  six  to  seven 
hundred  dollars.  Provo  and  its  immediate  vicinity  has  not  had  a  fruit  crop 
failure  for  35  years. 

The  growing  of  sugar  beets  is  made  attractive  by  the  presence  in  the 
valley  of  two  great  sugar  factories.  The  Payson  plant  has  a  capacity  of  500 
tons  per  day,  and  the  plant  at  Lehi  a  capacity  of  about  1  1  00  tons  per  day. 
In  1913  the  Lehi  plant  manufactured  26,000,000  pounds  of  refined  sugar. 


FRUIT  ORCHARD  AT  BASE  OF  MT.  TIMPANOGOS,  UTAH  VALLEY. 


WHEAT  FIELD  IN  UTAH  VALLEY. 

Dairying,  stock  raising,  poultry  husbandry,  beekeeping  and  kindred  pur- 
suits thrive.  Available  figures  credit  Utah  County  with  over  38,000  horses 
and  cattle  and  more  than  1  06,000  sheep.  The  Knight  Woolen  Mills  at  Provo, 
the  largest  in  the  State,  have  an  annual  consumption  of  over  a  million  pounds  of 
wool,  all  purchased  in  home  markets.  Portions  of  the  Wasatch  and  Uintah 
National  Forest  Reserves  lies  within  the  county,  containing  together  timber 
valued  at  $4,378,500.00.  Lodge  pole  pine  and  Englemann  spruce  are  the 
predominating  growths.  These  vast  areas  are  open  to  grazing  upon  payment 
of  small  fees. 

In  addition  to  the  great  government  project  mentioned  there  are  a  number 
of  lesser  enterprises  reclaiming  fertile  acres. 

The  Moside  Fruit  Lands  Co.  holds  some  9,500  acres  of  "bench"  lands 
on  the  southwest  shore  of  Utah  Lake.  This  acreage  is  eminently  fitted  for 
growing  fruit,  grain,  sugar  beets  and  alfalfa.  The  soil  is  a  rich  loam,  varying 
from  a  sandy  to  a  clayey  character,  and  covered  by  a  healthy  growth  of  sage- 
brush. A  pumping  plant  has  been  installed,  canals  and  laterals  completed,  and 
much  land  has  already  been  planted  with  fruit  trees,  alfalfa  and  cereals. 

The  Elberta  project,  owned  by  the  Utah  Lake  Land,  Water  and  Power 
Co.,  is  developing  15,000  acres  near  the  southern  end  of  Utah  Lake.  The 
reservoir  holds  29,000  acre-feet  of  water.  The  lands  are  located  on  a  high, 
sloping  plateau ;  the  soil,  with  a  minimum  depth  of  1  5  feet,  contains  all  the 
ingredients  requisite  for  successful  production.  Quinces,  cherries,  appricots, 
pears  and  apples  thrive.  The  lands  are  sold  on  easy  terms  and  the  settler  is 
favored  by  every  natural  advantage. 


The  Provo  Reservoir  Co.  irrigates  some  10,000  acres  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county  and  has  land,  with  water  right,  in  the  market  at  $75.00 
per  acre. 

The  Utah  Irrigation  Co.  has  water  sufficient  for  about  20,000  acres; 
it  is  secured  by  pumping,  from  Utah  Lake.  This  company,  in  addition  to 
selling  water,  will  exchange  water  for  land. 

Many  flowing  wells  are  in  use  throughout  the  county  and  in  most  of  the 
valleys  they  may  be  developed  at  an  approximate  cost  of  $100.00.  In  1912 
there  were  453,561  acres  of  unappropriated  public  lands,  of  which  1  10,689 
were  surveyed.  The  Salt  Lake  Route  reaches  the  principal  towns,  connecting 
them  with  the  markets  to  the  north  and  the  south. 

Tooele  County 


T 


OOELE  COUNTY,  the  second  largest  in  the  State,  has  not  been 
developed  extensively  in  an  agricultural  way,  owing  to  lack  of  water. 
Nevertheless,  the  fertile  valleys  of  the  eastern  portion  support  some  of 
the  most  productive  farms  in  the  West.  Around  Grantsville  and 
Tooele,  the  chief  towns,  fruit,  alfalfa,  potatoes  and  grain  do  well.  At  Tooele, 
the  average  annual  precipitation  is  16.2  inches;  elevation,  aoout  4,900  feet; 
mean  temperature  50.2°.  From  the  car  window  of  Salt  Lake  Route  trains  a 
number  of  thriving  dry-farms  may  be  seen  in  Tooele  and  Rush  Valleys. 
Tooele  Valley  was  formerly  an  arm  of  Lake  Bonneville,  and  the  wave  action 
on  the  alluvial  slopes  of  the  Oquirrh  Mountians  has  contributed  to  the  soil 
formation;  Rush  Valley  supports  a  healthy  growth  of  sage  and  rabbit  brush, 
and  the  soil  is  of  ample  depth  to  insure  profitable  dry-farming.  Tooele  County 
had,  in  1912,  3,655,282  acres  of  unappropriated  public  lands,  of  which 
1, 252,653  acres  were  surveyed. 

A  State  experiment  station  is  maintained  at  a  point  10  miles  west  of 
Tooele,  and  1 4  miles  south  of  Grantsville.  The  soil  is  a  sandy  loam  uniform 
with  depth,  containing  a  high  percentage  of  phosphorus  and  an  abundance  oi 
limestone;  records  at  the  farm  for  eight  years  show  an  average  annual  pre- 
cipitation of  13.75  inches.  A  number  of  fall  wheats,  Gold  Coin,  Kofod, 
Red  Chaff,  Lofthouse  and  Turkey,  have  produced  yields  of  between  27  and 
28  bushels  per  acre  without  irrigation.  Both  barley  and  rye  have  given  good 
results;  as  a  feed  for  horses,  dairy  cows,  hogs  and  poultry,  barley  more 
nearly  resembles  corn  than  any  of  the  well-known  cereals;  it  is  especially 
recommended  in  combination  with  alfalfa.  Properly  ground  rye  also  forms 
satisfactory  feed  for  all  classes  of  domestic  animals.  Emmer,  a  good  stock 
feed,  very  hardy  and  drought-resistant,  has  proven  profitable  near  Tooele 
City.  In  the  spring  of  1912,  30,574  fruit  trees,  principally  apple,  were 
planted  in  the  orchards  of  Tooele  County.  On  the  dry  farms  in  this  region 
the  value  of  summer  fallowing  is  marked. 

Notwithstanding  the  absence  of  large  lakes  and  streams  which  might 
be  used  for  that  purpose,  there  were  about  1  3,000  acres  of  irrigated  lands 
in  1909.  There  are  106  flowing  wells  in  the  valleys,  and  many  springs. 


ALFALFA  FIELD  AND  FLOWING  WELL.  BOATING  ON  UTAH  LAKE. 

IN  A  UTAH  GARDEN.  UTAH  IRRIGATION  DITCH 


In  1912,  202,817  sheep  were  assessed  in  Tooele  County.  There  are 
vast  ranges,  and,  in  addition,  the  Wasatch  National  Forest,  partly  within  the 
county,  is  open  to  a  limited  number  of  sheep  and  cattle  provided  their  board 
be  paid.  In  1911,  9,570  cattle  and  15,576  sheep  and  goats  grazed  in  the 
Wasatch  Reserves.  Among,  applicants  for  these  government  privileges  the 
small,  near-by  stockgrower  is  given  preference. 

The  Salt  Lake  Route  crosses  the  eastern  section  of  the  county,  traversing 
agricultural  valleys  where  the  cultivated  area  is  growing  rapidly.  The  in- 
crease in  dry-farming  is  adding  to  the  commercial  stability  of  the  region,  and 
its  mines  and  stock  ranges  continue  to  pour  in  their  tribute.  The  scarcity  of 
cheap  farm  lands  throughout  the  United  States  makes  Tooele  County  an 
attractive  field  for  investigation. 

Juat  County 

|OME  twenty-eight  years  ago  a  citizen  of  Nephi,  Juab  County,  testified 
before  the  government  authorities  that  he  could  raise  wheat  on  the 
Levan  Ridge  without  water.  He  was  immediately  indicted  for  per- 
jury. For  two  years  he  cultivated  his  land  under  bonds;  eventually 
he  was  able  to  prove  his  ability  to  raise  not  only  wheat,  barley,  rye  and  oats, 
but  also  large  crops  of  delicious  peaches.  This  was  accomplished  by  early 
dry-farming  methods,  in  a  region  whose  average  rainfall  during  a  period  of 
39  years  has  been  1  7. 1  5  inches  per  annum.  The  initiative  of  men  of  similar 
determination  has  covered  the  Levan  Ridge  with  flourishing  fields  of  grain 
and  sugar  beets,  and  has  enriched  its  slopes  with  rows  of  apple  and  peach  trees. 


WHEAT  BETWEEN  THE  TREES  IN  A  YOUNG  ORCHARD,  UTAH  VALLEY. 


HARVESTING    UTAH    ALFALFA. 

A  State  Experiment  Station  is  maintained  five  miles  south  of  Nephi; 
investigations  conducted  there  have  established  the  facts  that  wheat  will  yield 
38  bushels  per  acre,  and  oats  50  bushels  per  acre,  upon  dry-farm  land.  Good 
results  from  corn  have  been  reported,  and  farmers  on  arid  lands  have  come  to 
believe  that  where  anything  will  grow,  rye  can  be  made  to  succeed.  In  the 
production  of  alfalfa  seed,  a  remunerative  dry-farm  crop,  best  results  have 
been  secured  by  planting  the  alfalfa  in  rows  or  even  in  hills,  and  intertilling. 
Successful  dry-farm  operators  at  Nephi  estimate  the  average  cost  of  growing 
wheat  on  summer  fallowed  land  to  be  $6.85  per  acre;  this  includes  all 
charges  except  interest  charges  for  the  land.  With  wheat  selling  at  75  cents 
per  bushel,  this  means  that  9  bushels  per  acre  will  defray  expenses.  The 
vicinity  of  Nephi  is  rapidly  becoming  celebrated  for  its  fruit  and  berries, 
which  attain  large  size  and  excellent  flavor. 

The  soil  of  the  Juab  Valley  is  derived  from  the  weathering  of  the  Mount 
Nebo  Range  and  the  San  Pitch  Mountains,  which  guard  it  on  the  east;  lime- 
stone and  gypsum  enters  largely  into  the  composition  of  these  mountain  masses, 
and  consequently  into  that  of  the  soil;  the  latter  is  a  clay  loam,  free  from 
gravel,  and  of  excellent  character  for  the  retention  of  moisture.  The  phos- 
phorus content  is  high,  the  percentage  of  nitrogen  larger  than  that  of  other  soils 
in  the  State,  and  there  is  sufficient  potassium,  provided  the  farmer  cultivates 
the  land  so  as  to  render  the  plant  food  available. 

Statistics  show  about  15,000  acres  of  irrigated  lands  in  Juab  County. 
Most  of  this  is  included  in  projects  conducted  as  co-operative  enterprises,  and 
the  water  comes  largely  from  streams  by  gravity.  There  is  a  growing  acreage 
supplied  by  springs  and  flowing  wells. 


Nephi,  the  county  seat  and  the  center  of  the  agricultural  portion  of  Juab 
County,  is  a  prosperous  town  of  3,000  inhabitants,  on  the  Salt  Lake  Route. 
Its  resources  are  not  limited  to  farming;  there  are  salt  mines,  stone  quarries 
and  great  deposits  of  rock  gypsum.  The  gypsum,  which  occurs  in  beds 
together  with  rock  salt,  has  given  rise  to  a  large  industry,  the  manufacture  of 
wall  plaster  and  plaster  of  paris. 

The  raising  of  sheep  and  cattle  is  also  an  important  source  of  wealth; 
statistics  for  1910  gave  the  county  1  1 ,206  cattle,  and  the  number  of  sheep 
assessed  in  1912  was  107,310. 

Westward  from  the  agricultural  valleys  rise  the  gray  ridges  of  the  Tintic 
Mountains,  whose  tunneled  slopes  have  yielded  one-third  of  the  vast  mineral 
wealth  of  Utah. 

With  an  area  of  2, 1  45, 1  20  acres,  Juab -County  had,  in  1  91  2,  1 ,764,61  1 
acres  of  unappropriated  public  lands,  of  which  613,987  acres  were  surveyed. 
The  Nebo  National  Forest  Reserve,  containing  timber  valued  at  $184,- 
000.00,  occupies  a  large  portion  of  her  eastern  frontier.  The  Salt  Lake 
Route  crosses  the  county  with  two  lines,  one  traversing  the  agricultural  dis- 
trict, through  Nephi,  the  other  bisecting  the  Tintic  Valley,  and  sending 
branches  to  the  great  mining  camps.  The  resources  of  the  county  are  remark- 
ably diversified;  the  fields  of  oil  known  to  exist  should  soon  contribute  their 
quota  of  wealth,  and  dry-farming,  from  its  stronghold  on  Levan  Ridge,  is 
steadily  pushing  westward.  From  the  car  window,  at  Tintic  and  Mclntyre, 
on  the  Salt  !  ake  Route,  one  may  now  see  fine  stands  of  wheat  that  have  never 
known  irrigation. 

Millard  County — Tlie  Delta  Project 

ONTRAST  has  a  universal  appeal,  and  for  this  reason  the  observer 
familiar  with  the  Delta  region  of  several  years  ago,  more  than  the  new- 
comer, is  impressed  by  its  recent  transformation.  Those  who  remember 
when  sage  brush,  greasewood  and  shadscale  were  the  ruling  trium- 
virate in  the  broad  Pahvant  Valley,  marvel  most  at  the  termination  of  their 
reign.  Orderly  fields  of  alfalfa  and  grain  have  supplanted  the  riot  of  useless 
vegetation,  and  the  monotony  of  the  level  stretches  is  broken  by  comfortable 
farm  houses.  The  Delta  Land  and  Water  Company  has  brought  about  this 
change.  The  project,  though  young  in  years,  is  no  longer  an  experiment; 
its  future  is  assured. 

The  land,  which  was  reclaimed  under  the  Carey  Act,  lies  in  two  tracts, 
1  34  miles  south  of  Salt  Lake  City,  on  the  main  line  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route. 
Forty  thousand  acres  are  comprehended  by  the  project,  and  a  million  dollars 
have  been  expended  in  perfecting  the  irrigation  system.  The  waters  of  the 
Sevier  River  are  checked  by  a  great  dam,  and  directed  through  concrete  lined 
canals  by  diversion  works  of  enduring  rock  and  steel.  The  land  company 
exercises  an  almost  paternal  care  over  the  settlers;  its  terms  and  requirements 
are  judiciously  tempered  to  the  means  of  men  of  small  capital. 

The  soil  of  the  vallev  varies  considerably;  the  dominant  type  is  a  clay 
loam,  mixed  and  underlaid  with  sand  and  clay.  Analyses  of  soils  from  dif- 


I 

LAND  PLOWED  FOR  FIRST  SEEDING,  DELTA. 

HARVEST  OF  FIRST  CROP,  DELTA. 
DELTA'S  STRAW  STACKS.  UTAH  CORN. 


The  uncleared  land  supports  a  luxuriant  growth  of  black  sagebrush, 
greasewood  and  shadscale.  The  soil  varies  from  sandy  to  clayey,  with  all  the 
intermediate  stages  of  sandy  loam  and  clay  loam.  Analyses  show  that  the 
percentage  of  phosphoric  acid  is  normal,  the  potash  content  higher  than  the 
average,  and  that  lime  is  present  in  abundance.  Plants  are  enabled  to  use 
other  plant  food  to  better  advantage  when  lime  is  present  in  generous  quanti- 
ties. In  parts,  the  Lynndyl  tract  has  an  uneven  contour,  and  underlying  all  of 
it  is  a  layer  of  coarse  sand  which  forms  an  ideal  natural  drainage  system. 

Irrigation  water  is  secured  from  the  Sevier  River,  the  company  holding 
ample  rights  to  guarantee  purchasers  of  land  two  acre-feet  per  annum.  The 
reservoirs,  diversion  dams,  canals  and  laterals  have  been  constructed  with 
permanency  always  in  view.  The  mean  temperature  at  Oak  City  is  50.7 
degrees,  the  average  annual  precipitation  is  15.15  inches,  the  elevation  4,900 
feet.  Excellent  water  for  domestic  use  may  be  obtained  at  depths  of  from  1 00 
to  225  feet;  it  rises  in  the  wells  to  85  feet  below  the  surface. 

Much  of  the  land  will  lend  itself  admirably  to  fruit  growing,  and  practi- 
cally all  of  it  is  suitable  for  raising  large  crops  of  cereals,  alfalfa,  sugar  beets 
and  general  farm  products.  Experts  recommend  alfalfa  and  livestock  as  a 
particularly  remunerative  combination.  The  company  maintains  a  demon- 
stration farm  for  the  instruction  and  benefit  of  the  farmers.  Land,  with  per- 
petual water  right,  sells  for  $65.00  per  acre,  payable  in  annual  installments 
within  a  period  of  ten  years. 

Some  enviable  records  have  been  established  by  farmers  on  the  older 
cultivated  lands  in  the  vicinity.  Near  Oak  City,  wheat  has  yielded  58 
bushels  per  acre,  oats  and  barley  each  100  bushels,  and  potatoes  560  bushel? 
per  acre.  Elberta  and  Crawford  peaches,  and  pears,  prunes  and  apples  ofler 
certain  opportunities  for  large  profits.  An  orchard  planted  to  Elberta  peaches 
in  1900  produced  in  1907,  240  bushels  from  75  trees.  Jonathan,  Winesap 
and  Gano  apples  thrive,  as  do  the  hardier  varieties  of  grapes,  Muscat  and 
Tokay.  Alfalfa  and  alfalfa  seed  make  lucrative  crops.  Dairying  and  hog 
and  cattle  raising  are  pursuits  to  which  the  successful  farmer  must  give  due 
attention. 

For  this  region  the  market  facilities  are  of  the  best.  Salt  Lake  City  lies 
1  1 8  miles  to  the  north,  reached  by  two  lines  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route,  and  to 
the  south  are  the  markets  of  Southern  California,  always  eager  for  Utah  live- 
stock. Low  fares  to  Lynndyl  have  been  established  for  homeseekers  desiring 
to  inspect  the  land. 

Within  the  eastern  borders  of  Millard  County  are  portions  of  the  Nebo 
and  Fillmore  National  Forest  Reserves,  containing  together  some  394,000  M 
board  feet  of  saw  timber,  valued  at  $2.00  per  M.,  29,463  horses  and  cattle, 
and  47,766  sheep  grazed  on  the  reserves  in  1912.  In  that  year  the  county 
had  3,489,642  acres  of  unappropriated  public  lands,  of  which  1,170,027 
were  surveyed. 


CHARACTERISTIC  RANCH  HOMES,  DELTA  PROJECT. 


Beaver  County  and  tke  Milford  Valley  Irrigated  Lands 


T"^  HE  Milford  Project  is  unique  in  that  it  will  not  tolerate  non-success. 
The  lands  it  comprehends  are  rich,  and  so,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the 
word,  are  the  farmers  it  has  attracted.      A  majority  of  the  men  who 
"•*,  decide  to  settle  there  come  prepared  to  build  comfortable  houses  and 
barns ;  they  have  funds  for  improved  agricultural  implements,  conveniences,  even 
luxuries,   and,   beyond  that,  substantial  bank  accounts.      They  are  men  who 
have  gotten  wealth  from  the  soil  in  other  regions,  whose  eyes  are  quick  to  per- 
ceive opportunities;  they  have  been  drawn  by  the  remarkable  promise  of  the 
valley,  and  have  given  it  the  stamp  of  their  approval.      Like  most  good  things, 
Milford  Valley  irrigated  lands  are  limited  in  quantity;  there  are  only   15,000 
acres  for  disposal. 

The  lands  lie  one  to  ten  miles  from  the  progressive  town  of  Milford;  a 
gradual  slope  from  the  Mineral  Mountains  affords  perfect  drainage.  The 
apparently  level  stretch  of  sage  brush,  match  weed,  greasewood  and  shad- 
scale  is  rimmed  by  the  sharp  outlines  of  gray,  blue  and  purple  mountains  which 
impart  a  charm  to  the  valley  that  will  eventually  dot  its  surface  with  homes. 
The  soil  is  decomposed  limestone,  forming  a  sandy  loam  for  some  three  feet, 
and  below  that,  a  clay  loam;  the  minimum  depth  is  1  5  feet.  At  Milford,  the 
elevation  is  4971  feet,  the  average  annual  precipitation  is  8.31  inches,  and 
the  mean  temperature,  49.6  degrees.  The  peculiar  excellence  of  the  Milford 
lands  finds  counterpart  in  few  sections  of  the  West,  regions  whose  names  are 
synonyms  for  bonanza  farming. 

With  every  irrigation  system  the  most  important  feature  is  the  dam; 
that  which  stores  the  waters  of  the  Beaver  River  impresses  one  by  its  magnitude 
and  assurance  of  permanence.  Anchored  by  a  concrete  core,  it  rises  70  feet 
from  the  river  bed;  its  base  is  150  feet  thick  and  its  water  slope  is  faced  with 
heavy  rock.  The  storage  capacity  of  the  reservoir  is  27,000  acre-feet.  Stand- 
ing upon  the  crest  of  the  huge  barrier,  one  observes  the  lake  it  has  created, 
stretching  back  into  the  canyon  until  its  waters  reach  the  edge  of  a  thriving 
village,  with  stately  poplars,  green  fields  and  pleasant  homes.  "When  the 
reservoir  is  full,"  one  asks,  "what  will  become  of  the  town  of  Adamsville?" 
"Adamsville,"  replies  the  land  company,  "will  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  reser- 
voir. We  have  bought  the  town,  and  most  of  the  inhabitants  will  move  to  our 
tract,  farther  down  the  valley." 

The  lands  to  be  cultivated  are  admirably  suited  for  growing  grain,  alfalfa, 
sugar  beets,  potatoes,  fruits  and  vegetables.  Upon  the  company's  eighty-acre 
tract,  but  ninety  days  from  the  brush,  the  following  were  observed  in  healthy 
stages  of  growth:  potatoes,  cabbage,  onions,  peas,  beans,  beets,  turnips,  lettuce, 
radishes,  asparagus,  carrots,  cantaloupes,  watermelons,  wheat,  corn,  buckwheat, 
barley,  rye,  vetch  (for  fertilizer),  blue  and  orchard  grass,  meadow  fescue  and 
white  clover.  Young  pear,  apple,  cherry,  peach,  plum  and  apricot  trees,  as 
well  as  grape  vines,  had  recently  been  planted  and  were  progressing  with  all 
the  optimism  of  youth.  To  see  these  plants  and  fruit  trees  tested  by  time,  one 
has  only  to  visit  the  adjacent  farms,  many  of  which  have  been  cultivated  for 


DELTA  LAND  BEARING  ITS  FIRST  WHEAT  CROP. 

SPILLWAY  AND  IRRIGATING  DITCH,  DELTA  PROJECT. 

AFTER  THE  HARVEST,  MILLARD  COUNTY. 


more  than  thirty  years.  On  the  farm  of  Mr.  Steven  Hollingshead  at  Miners- 
ville  stands  an  orchard  that  speaks,  or,  rather,  groans,  for  itself.  Blue  damson 
plums  and  Ben  Davis  apples  drag  their  supporting  branches  earthward;  one 
fine  tree  of  Bartlett  pears,  whose  yield  was  estimated  at  1  5  bushels,  was  loaded 
with  half  ripe  fruit  of  uniform  size  and  development.  The  apricot  trees,  bend- 
ing beneath  their  yellow  treasures,  bore  fruit  as  large  as  lemons;  four  scarcely 
ripe  apricots  weighed  exactly  one  pound.  Spring  wheat  was  seen,  yielding  60 
bushels  per  acre,  weighing  90  pounds  per  bushel ;  and  oats  yielding  92  bushels 
per  acre,  weighing  55  pounds  per  bushel. 

A  visit  to  the  Davis  farm  displayed  further  wonders.  Standing  in  the 
orchard  beneath  a  tree  of  blue  damson  plums  whose  fruit  hung  like  clusters 
of  large  grapes,  a  man  from  California  vented  his  skepticism:  "I  reckon  it  took 
you  some  time  to  glue  all  the  plums  in  your  orchard  on  that  one  tree."  His 
remark  seemed  warranted,  for  the  profusion  of  fruit  was  almost  incredible. 
In  addition  to  these,  there  flourished  crab  apples,  apricots,  golden  plums,  wal- 
nuts, Kingston  and  wine  grapes  and  cherries.  Underneath  the  generous  fruit 
trees  grew  strawberries,  black  and  red  raspberries  and  gooseberries.  The  sun, 
brightening  the  green  and  red  burdens  of  the  fine  eld  apple  trees,  prepared  one 
for  believing  the  assertion  of  the  farmer.  "A  photograph  of  Milford  Valley 
land,"  he  said,  "when  shown  to  an  ordinary  apple  tree,  will  make  it  bear 
seven  fold." 

The  excellent  fields  of  wheat,  potatoes  and  alfalfa,  through  which  the 
traveler  may  pass  for  miles,  are  remarkable  for  their  uniformity.  Coming  to 
a  beautiful  stand  of  alfalfa,  the  California  declared:  "I'll  take  off  my  hat  to 
that  field."  As  the  party  sped  along,  it  was  noticed  that  he  kept  his  hat  off, 
for  the  succeeding  tracts  were  no  whit  inferior.  Presently,  however,  there 


TESTING  THE  SOIL  NEAR  MILFORD,  BEAVER  COUNTY. 


A  CLUSTER  OF  UTAH  PLUMS,  GROWN  IN  BEAVER  COUNTY. 

appeared  a  patch  perhaps  a  little  higher,  and  as  level  as  the  top  of  a  table. 
The  Californian  said,  simply:  "That  lucerne  is  growing  fit  to  bust  itself." 
Three  crops  a  year,  bringing  7  tons  per  acre,  is  the  average  alfalfa  yield ;  near 
Minersville,  there  is  one  thriving  field  that  has  not  been  reseeded  for  25  years. 
The  record  yield  per  acre,  of  potatoes,  is  800  bushels;  of  onions,  1,000 
bushels;  of  sugar  beets,  35  tons. 


FIELD  OF  PRIZE  POTATOES,  BEAVER  COUNTY 

For -dairying  and  for  fattening  stock,  there  is  no  more  favorable  region 
in  the  West;  feed,  climate  and  sunshine  are  there.  Poultry  husbandry  and 
hog  raising  vie  as  money  making  pursuits.  Beaver  County  ranks  first  in  the 
State  in  the  number  of  its  sheep;  235,000  were  assessed  in  1912. 

Water,  ninety-eight  per  cent  pure,  is  obtained  in  Milford  Valley,  at 
depths  of  from  50  to  75  feet.  According  to  the  geological  survey,  there  is  a 
great  artesian  basin  in  Beaver  Valley. 

Milford  Valley  lands  are  selling  for  $30.00  per  acre,  with  $70.00  per 
acre  for  perpetual  water  right;  the  payments  for  water  may  be  made  within 
twelve  years. 

East  of  Milford  Valley,  on  Indian  Creek,  lies  the  Manderfield  Project, 
which  will  reclaim  about  1 0,000  acres.  There  are  a  number  of  dams  in 
Indian  Creek  Canyon,  irrigating  small  but  fertile  sections  of  the  valley. 

In  1912  Beaver  County  had  1,366,657  acres  of  unappropriated  public 
lands,  of  which  297,335  were  surveyed.  Dry-farming  has  become  firmly 
established  and  much  of  the  homestead  land  may  be  successfully  cultivated  by 
that  method.  The  Salt  Lake  Route  crosses  the  county,  sending  a  branch  from 
the  chief  shipping  point,  Milford,  to  the  mining  towns  of  Frisco  and  Newhouse ; 
Beaver  is  reached  by  automobile  stage  from  Milford.  Beaver  County,  with 
an  established  commercial  rank,  is  contributing  more  than  her  share  to  the 
progress  of  Utah. 


Iron  County  ana  the  Newcastle  Project 

|  IKE  a  lovely  woman,  the  Escalante  Valley  needs  but  to  be  seen  to  be 
admired.  Even  the  prospective  settler,  whose  attention  is  centered  on 
climate,  water  and  soil,  will  have  his  instinct  for  the  beautiful  aroused 
by  the  panorama  there  unfolded.  A  bread,  gently  sloping  plain,  once 
the  bottom  of  Lake  Bonneville,  stretches  away  to  purple  mountains;  those  pleas- 
ant patches  of  green  on  the  smooth  floor  of  the  valley  are  fields  of  grain  and  * 
alfalfa.  A  merely  casual  inspection  will  convince  the  observer  of  the  fertility 
of  the  soil.  In  that  region  the  Newcastle  Land  Company  is  making  possible 
the  development  of  prosperous  farms. 

The  irrigable  land,  consisting  of  some  24,000  acres,  with  an  additional 
6,000  acres  of  dry-farm  land,  lies  at  an  elevation  of  5,000  feet  and  has  an 
average  slope  of  I  2  feet  per  mile,  making  irrigation  and  drainage  matters  of 
extreme  simplicity.  The  average  annual  precipitation  is  1  6  inches  and  there 
is  an  abundance  of  subterranean  water  within  easy  pumping  distance.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Enterprise  water  is  obtained  at  from  40  to  75  feet,  and  on  the 
Newcastle  tract  even  nearer  the  surface.  Analyses  of  well  water  from  Lund, 
Beryl  and  Nada,  on  the  Salt  Lake  Route,  show  that  it  will  serve  admirably 
for  irrigation  purposes.  The  Newcastle  Company  secures  its  gravity  water 
by  impounding  the  flow  of  several  canyon  streams ;  the  reservoir  is  located  in 
the  Pine  Valley  Mountains  at  an  altitude  of  of  7,000  feet.  The  dam  joins 
two  steep  walls  of  basalt  in  a  narrow  gorge ;  its  construction,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  headgates,  canals  and  laterals,  is  of  substantial  and  enduring  character. 
When  the  proposed  alterations  are  completed  the  reservoir  will  store  27,000 
acre-feet  of  water. 


VISTA  OF  NEWCASTLE  LANDS. 


The  lands  awaiting  tillage  at  Newcastle  fall  into  three  classes:  those 
irrigable  by  gravity  water,  those  that  depend  on  pumped  water,  and  the  arid 
lands.  The  .soil  is  alluvial,  formed  by  the  disintegration  of  granite,  limestone 
and  volcanic  rocks;  ranging  from  a  sandy  loam  to  a  clay  loam,  it  is  rich  in 
potash  and  carries  considerable  organic  matter.  There  is  good  depth,  varying 
to  50  feet  and  more,  and  uniform  in  richness.  The  predominating  natural 
growth  is  a  high  and  sturdy  sagebrush,  frequently  attaining  the  height  of  a 
man.  In  soil  and  climatic  conditions  this  region  closely  resembles  the  cele- 
brated Cache  Valley,  one  of  the  richest  farming  districts  in  the  entire  West. 

A  wide  variety  of  crops  is  grown  at  Newcastle,  and  this  statement  applies 
to  Iron  County  as  a  whole.  The  staples  are  wheat,  rye,  oats,  barley,  alfalfa, 
corn,  beans  and  potatoes.  Corn,  on  the  arid  lands  (without  irrigation)  yields 
40  to  60  bushels  per  acre;  wheat,  20  bushels;  rye  24  bushels;  oats,  50  bushels; 
potatoes,  200  bushels;  alfalfa,  5  tons  per  acre;  all  these  yields  increase  mar- 
velously  with  judicious  irrigation.  There  are  a  few  settlers  on  the  tract,  but 
no  available  statistics  of  their  crop  production.  Sugar  beets  do  extremely 
well.  Much  of  the  land  recommends  itself  to  horticulture,  particularly  to  the 
production  of  apples,  pears,  plums  and  berries. 

If  the  Garden  of  Eden  contained  all  manner  of  good  things,  the  three- 
acre  tract  at  Newcastle  is  no  distant  rival.  Under  the  guiding  hand  of  the 
enthusiastic  head  gardener,  Mr.  Noble,  a  region  dubbed  "desert"  by  the  early 
pioneers  grows  a  list  of  food  plants  that  would  furnish  a  fair  foundation  for 
a  vegetarian  dictionary:  beans,  beets,  cabbage,  cantaloupes,  carrots,  cauliflower, 
corn  (sweet  and  field),  cucumbers,  lettuce,  onions,  peas,  potatoes,  radishes, 
spinach,  squash,  tomatoes,  turnips  and  watermelons.  The  company  also  main- 
tains a  farm  of  several  hundred  acres  which  it  operates  both  for  profit  and 
example.  There  it  demonstrates  the  wisdom  of  recognizing  one's  relatives; 
the  'kinship  between  dairying,  hog  raising  and  agriculture  is  one  no  farmer 
should  ignore. 


FIRST  CROP  AT  SALT  LAKE  ROUTE  EXPERIMENTAL  FARM,  MALONE 

MILLARD  COUNTY. 


THE  LAND  AS  THE  SETTLER  FINDS  IT. 

BREAKING  THE  LAND  WITH  TRACTION  ENGINE. 

DRILLING  IN  THE  FIRST  CROP. 


The  land  company  has  erected  a  modern  concrete  hotel  for  the  comfort 
of  those  who  come  to  inspect  the  land.  Beryl,  the  shipping  point  for  New- 
castle, is  1  5  miles  distant,  on  the  Salt  Lake  Route ;  the  railroad  company  has 
established  low  fares  for  homeseekers  to  that  station.  The  location  of  these 
lands  on  a  transcontinental  railway  system  will  prove  an  important  factor  in 
their  development.  State  experiment  stations  are  situated  at  Cedar  City  and 
Enterprise.  Newcastle  farm  lands,  with  perpetual  water  right,  are  selling  for 
an  average  price  of  $60.00  per  acre.  Lands  irrigable  by  pumping,  and  dry- 
farm  lands,  are  much  cheaper. 

Turning  from  specific  locality  to  the  county  as  a  whole,  the  possibilities 
broaden.  Iron  County  had  in  1912  1,192,288  acres  of  unappropriated 
public  lands,  of  which  347. 1  07  were  surveyed.  The  Sevier  National  Forest, 
partly  within  the  county,  contains  about  755,000  M  board  feet  of  saw  timber. 

In  the  number  of  sheep  supported  the  county  under  observation  ranks 
second  in  the  State ;  as  a  summer  range  it  remains  unsurpassed.  The  pasturage 
area  is  enormous,  although  steadily  dcreasing  as  the  farm  acreage  grows. 
The  proximity  of  the  Dixie  National  Forest,  700  square  miles  in  extent,  with 
a  grazing  fee  for  cattle  of  25  cents  per  head,  makes  the  raising  of  beef  an 
attractive  undertaking.  There  are  about  10,000  cattle  and  3,000  horses  in 
Iron  County.  The  importance  of  dairying  and  hog  raising  on  every  farm  is 
occupying  more  and  more  attention;  the  expanding  markets,  both  north  and 
south,  are  increasing  their  demand  for  meat. 

As  the  name  indicates,  there  are  vast  deposits  of  iron ;  it  is  stated  that  the 
county  contains  enough  iron  to  relay  every  mile  of  railway  and  to  rebuild  every 
steel  structure  in  the  United  States.  The  ores  belong  to  the  hematite  and 
magnetite  classes;  some  of  the  iron-ore  exposures  stand  out  200  feet  above  the 
surrounding  country. 


UTAH  GIANT  CURRANTS 


CLUSTER  OF  UTAH  PEARS 


UTAH  BRED  CATTLE  AT  NEWCASTLE. 

NEWCASTLE  WHEAT  STACKS.  THE  GIANT  SAGE,  NEWCASTLE. 

A  NEWCASTLE  WHEAT  FIELD. 


W 


It  requires  no  prophetic  vision  to  foresee  the  time  when  these  natural  re- 
sources will  build  up  great  industrial  centers,  and  those  great  centers  will  need 
food.  The  development  of  large  enterprises  is  beyond  the  reach  of  men  of 
limited  capital ;  possession  of  a  prosperous  farm  and  consequent  independence 
is  a  rational  ambition.  For  general  farming,  experts  regard  the  Escalante 
Valley  as  one  of  the  choicest  locations  in  the  West. 

\Vashington  County — Utah's  "Dixie" 

ASHINGTON  COUNTY,  with  an  area  of  1,595,520  acres,  had  in 
1912,  840,855  acres  of  unappropriated  public  lands,  of  which  5  1  7,948 
acres  were  surveyed.  There  are  two  classes  of  lands:  those  lying  at 
an  altitude  between  2700  and  3500  feet,  characterized  by  semi-tropical 
climate  and  low  rainfall,  and  those  above  3500  feet.  The  principal  towns 
are  located  between  the  former  altitudes.  At  St.  George,  the  county  seat,  the 
average  annual  precipitation  is  8.66  inches  and  the  mean  temperature  is  58.6 
degrees;  the  average  annual  precipitation  at  Pinto  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county,  is  15.64  inches,  and  the  mean  temperature  is  45.1  degrees. 

The  region  around  St.  George  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the  lower  class 
of  lands.  The  soil  is  of  decomposed  sandstone,  forming  a  sandy  loam  to  a 
depth  of  50  feet;  the  summers  are  long  and  dry,  with  almost  uninterrupted 
sunshine.  Cotton  is  grown,  ginned  and  woven  into  cloth.  These  districts  are 
ideal  for  raising  fruit  and  vegetables:  almonds,  figs,  walnuts,  grapes,  pome- 
granates, cabbage,  lettuce,  asparagus,  peaches  and  apricots  germinate  and  ma- 
ture as  if  they  were  competing  against  the  wide  world.  Indeed,  many  of  the 


HOME   OF  A   UTAH   RANCHER. 


KKU1TS  OF  WASHINGTON  COUNTY,   UTAH'S   "DIXIE." 

A  YOUNG  FRUIT  ORCHARD,  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

ALFALFA  FIELD,  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 


GREAT  DAM  AND  RESERVOIR,  MILFORD  PROJECT,   UTAH. 

products  of  "Dixie"  do  compete  successfully  against  all  contestants;  the  apri- 
cots are  prize-winners  and  the  asparagus  acknowledges  no  superior.  Elberta 
peaches  attain  remarkable  size,  color  and  flavor,  and  many  farmers  are  making 
a  specialty  of  that  variety.  During  the  National  Irrigation  Congress  at  Sacra- 
mento in  1907,  Luther  Burbank  said  of  the  "Dixie"  peach  exhibit:  "In  all 
my  experience  I  have  never  seen  such  a  magnificent  display  of  peaches."  The 
value  of  Washington  County  lands  for  fruit  growing  cannot  be  emphasized  too 
strongly.  While  there  are  no  large  commercial  orchards  on  account  of  the 
distance  to  the  railway,  the  recent  road  improvement  undertaken  by  the  State 
should  materially  increase  the  exportation  of  fruit.  It  is  estimated  that  grapes 
produce  1  8,000  pounds,  and  peaches,  30,000  pounds,  per  acre.  During  the 
spring  of  1911  there  were  planted  in  Washington  County  orchards  24,000 
peach  trees. 

The  lands  above  3500  feet  produce  grains,  hardy  vegetables,  forage 
crops,  apples  and  small  fruits.  Without  a  high  state  of  cultivation  the  average 
soil  yields  60  bushels  per  acre  of  wheat,  and  five  crops  of  alfalfa  are  grown 
in  a  season.  Under  such  conditions,  poultry  husbandry,  dairying,  cattle  and 
hog  raising  could  not  fail  to  be  profitable;  the  long,  sunny  days,  pure  air  and 
excellent  forage  invite  those  pursuits.  Statistics  for  1910  credited  Washington 
County  with  29,483  sheep  and  30,325  cattle.  In  1912,  12,687  horses  and 
cattle  grazed  in  the  Dixie  National  Forest,  whose  460,800  acres  lie  within 
the  county.  It  is  estimated  that  500  horses,  6,000  head  of  cattle,  20,000 
sheep  and  1 ,000,000  pounds  of  wool  are  shipped  annually  from  this  region. 
The  shipping  point  is  Modena,  on  the  Salt  Lake  Route. 


In  1910,  irrigation  enterprises  in  the  county  were  prepared  to  supply 
water  sufficient  for  25,000  acres,  and  several  new  projects  are  now  getting 
under  way.  The  highest  class  of  fruit  lands  will  be  made  productive  by  these 
projects.  Some  of  the  higher  lands  not  at  present  susceptible  of  irrigation  may 
be  successfully  dry-farmed;  the  State  maintains  an  experimental  dry-farm  at 
Enterprise. 

The  county  has  vast  mineral  resources,  particularly  coal;  silver,  lead  and 
copper  have  been  mined  profitably ;  the  enormous  iron  deposits  of  southern  Utah 
extend  into  Washington  County  and  there  are  great  quantities  of  gypsum  near 
La  Verkin.  Red  and  white  sandstone  suitable  for  building  purposes  are  found 
in  many  localities.  At  Leeds,  there  is  a  geological  curiosity,  a  bed  of  silver 
bearing  sandstone  that  has  no  counterpart  elsewhere  on  the  globe;  the  reel, 
which  has  been  extensively  worked,  contains  many  petrified  trees,  rich  in  silver 
chlorides.  Near  Virgin  City,  oil  is  known  to  exist,  and  future  development 
will  undoubtedly  discover  the  oil-bearing  sands.  Six  billion  feet  of  timber  from 
the  Kaibab  Forest,  in  Arizona,  must  eventually  be  sawed  in  Washington 
County  and  transported  across  her  borders. 

A  source  of  future  fame,  as  well  as  profit,  to  the  county,  are  the  mar- 
velous canyons  of  the  Virgin  River.  St.  George,  from  which  they  may  be 
reached,  has  all  the  requirements  for  becoming  the  winter  resort  of  the  inter- 
mountain  region.  Those  who  have  seen  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado, 
and  the  great  gorge  of  the  Yellowstone,  need  not  suppose  they  have  observed 
Nature  at  her  best  as  painter  and  sculptor.  The  exquisite  tracery  of  the 
Mukuntuweap  and  Parunuweap  Canyons,  the  gorgeous  ornamentation  of  the 


A   GROUP   OF   UTAH    PORKERS 


towers  and  temples  that  fringe  their  walls,  possesses  a  grandeur  that  is  literally 
unique.  Imagine  a  chasm  as  deep  as  that  of  the  Yellowstone,  carved  and 
tinted  with  greater  elaboration,  and,  in  places,  but  fifty  feet  wide. 

Washington  County,  with  the  smiling  skies  and  fertile  soil  of  the  semi- 
tropics,  veined  with  minerals,  clothed  with  forests  and  gashed  by  wonderful 
gorges,  serenely  awaits  an  enviable  future. 


Nevada  s   Agricultural   Awakening 

JVERSHADOWED  by  a  series  of  great  mining  successes,  the  agri- 
cultural resources  of  Nevada  have  lain  dormant  until  within  the  last 
decade.  She  is,  however,  now  rapidly  making  up  for  lost  time  and 
proving  by  the  fertility  of  her  soils  that  her  agricultural  possibilities 
are  barely  second  to  those  of  her  mines.  This  applies  most  directly  to  the 
southern  counties  of  the  state,  traversed  by  the  lines  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route. 
In  these  southern  sections  of  Nevada  exists  a  condition  only  paralleled 
by  that  of  Utah,  where  the  differences  in  altitude  render  the  climatic  condi- 
tions totally  different  from  the  northern  sections  and  cause  them  to  closely 
approach  that  of  Southern  California. 

The  principal  valleys  of  southwestern  Nevada,  lying  at  an  extremely 
low  elevation,  are  possessed  of  a  climatic  condition  which  give  to  them  a 
winter  climate  capable  of  producing  the  very  finest  of  winter  vegetables  and 
all  classes  of  fruits  and  nuts,  save  those  belonging  to  the  citrus  family. 


t 


A    LAS   VEGAS    WELL    FLOWING    100    INCHES 


CLARK-RONNOW  RANCH,  LAS  VEGAS  VALLEY,  NEVADA. 

The  proximity  of  the  specially  favored  sections  of  Nevada  to  her  great 
mining  carnps,  give  to  them  a  special  advantage  in  the  way  of  markets, 
although  a  great  many  carloads  of  her  products  find  their  way  annually  to 
points  in  the  far  north  and  also  to  cities  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Great  impetus  has  been  given  to  southern  Nevada's  agriculture,  through 
the  discovery  of  new  and  previously  unknown  water  supplies,  the  most  im- 
portant of  which  is  the  extensive  artesian  belt  located  in  the  Las  Vegas 
Valley. 

This  artesian  belt  completely  surrounds  the  city  of  Las  Vegas. 

Upwards  of  one  hundred  wells  have  been  drilled  varying  in  flow  from 
five  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  inches. 

These  water  supplies  are  being  gradually  developed  and  the  consequent 
extension  of  Nevada's  productive  acres  is  rapidly  following. 

Moapa  Valley 

|OAPA  STATION,  the  shipping  point  for  the  products  of  the  fertile 
Moapa  Valley,  is  on  the  main  line  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route,  about 
midway  between  its  busy  terminals,  Salt  Lake  City  and  Los  Angeles; 
the  recently  completed  branch  line  to  St.  Thomas  penetrates  the  heart 
of  the  region.  It  contains  some  ten  thousand  acres,  of  which  perhaps  half  are 
under  cultivation.  The  soil  is  a  rich  alluvium,  whose  productivity,  with  an 
annual  precipitation  of  between  5  and  7  inches,  depends  largely  on  irrigation. 
In  establishing  the  State  Experiment  Farm  at  Logan,  the  Nevada  authorities 
designated  that  part  of  the  State  "sub-tropical."  Blessed  with  wonderful  nat- 
ural advantages  and  excellent  transportation  facilities,  it  is  rapidly  becoming  a 
community  of  small  farms. 

Alfalfa,  grain,  cantaloupes,  vegetables  and  fruits  are  grown  with  remark- 
able success.  With  proper  cultural  methods  hay  yields  6  to  8  tons  per  acre, 
and  grain,  40  to  60  bushels.  Apples,  pears  and  peaches  from  the  temperate 
zone  grow  beside  peanuts,  sweet  potatoes,  cotton,  tobacco,  apricots,  figs,  pome- 
granates, almonds  and  grapes.  The  fame  of  the  valley,  which  will  undoubt- 


LAS  VEGAS  VALLEY  CATTLE. 

edly  become  nation-wide,  properly  rests  on  its  cantaloupes.  There  the  melons 
acquire  a  flavor  not  to  be  duplicated  elsewhere.  After  the  soil  has  become 
fertilized  with  alfalfa,  $400.00  worth  of  cantaloupes  per  acre  is  not  an  unusual 
crop.  Year  after  year  the  cars  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route  distribute  these  succu- 
lent delicacies  in  the  markets  of  the  East,  and  the  taste  of  a  Moapa  cantaloupe 
is  a  better  advertisement  than  a  flaming,  signboard. 

The  climate  of  the  valley  is  mild  in  winter,  and  in  summer  rather  hot; 
the  nights,  however,  are  always  pleasant.  The  elevation  at  Moapa  Station  is 
1  664  feet.  It  is  the  long,  warm  summers  that  allow  six  or  seven  cuttings  of 
alfalfa  in  one  year,  and  permit  the  farmer  to  grow  a  good  crop  of  maize  or 
sorghum  after  the  cereals  have  been  removed.  These  facts  make  the  region 
ideal  for  fattening  beef  and  pork ;  dairying,  obviously,  is  remunerative.  There 
are  several  large  poultry  farms  and  the  chief  difficulty  of  the  growers  is  in 
keeping  abreast  of  the  demand. 

Considerable  land  remains  for  sale  at  reasonable  prices;  there  are  also 
opportunities  for  renting  land,  either  on  a  cash  basis  or  on  shares.  There  is 
plenty  of  water,  plenty  of  markets,  plenty  of  all  the  natural  requirements ;  small 
farms,  and  consequent  increase  in  population,  are  the  community's  needs.  The 
speculator  who  lets  his  property  stand  without  improvement  checks  the  progress 
of  his  neighbors. 

With  its  output  of  fruit  and  garden  truck,  fat  cattle  and  hogs,  the  strategic 
position  of  this  remarkable  district  is  striking.  Three  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
away  lies  Los  Angeles,  and  further  to  the  south,  San  Diego;  at  one  or  the 
other  of  these  growing  ports  all  vessels  that  pass  their  way  will  touch.  Through 
the  vast  increase  of  ocean  traffic  to  result  from  the  opening  of  the  Panama 
Canal,  the  inland  regions  will  share  in  the  prosperity  of  the  seaboard.  At  no 
distant  time  the  sheltered  Moapa  Valley,  with  its  cloudless  skies,  will  not 
have  an  acre  of  untilled  land. 


Las  Vegfas  Valley 


^JHHE  LAS  VEGAS  VALLEY,  with  an  area  of  some  700  square  miles, 
contains  upwards  of  200,000  acres  of  arable  land,  not  including  the 
JL       mesa  lands  along  the  slopes  of  the  mountains.     The  elevation  at  Las 
— ^    Vegas  is  2,026  feet,  the  rainfall  averages  4  to  5  inches  annually,  and 
the  summers  are  long  and  sometimes  hot.      The  heat,  however,  never  produces 
sunstroke  or  prostration  as  in  the  humid  regions,  and  the  nightfall  invariably 
brings  a  comfortable  lowering  of  temperature.     Snow  falls  once  in  a  decade. 
The   region    is   essentially   a   healthy   one,   blessed   with   excellent   water   and 
pure  air. 

The  characteristic  soil  is  a  sandy  loam,  requiring  the  assistance  of  water 
to  display  its  great  fertility.  Successful  agriculture  has  been  practiced  in  the 
valley  for  years,  and  there  is  evidence  that  the  aborigines  tilled  the  land  before 
the  white  men  came. 

More  than  anything  else,  the  discovery  of  artesian  water  has  given  impetus 
and  breadth  to  agricultural  pursuits  in  the  valley.  The  area  of  the  artesian 
water,  as  at  present  defined,  is  about  1  5  miles  long  and  from  3  to  5  miles 
broad,  and  these  boundaries  are  continually  being  extended.  Within  the  definite 
belt,  flowing  water  may  be  reached  with  absolute  certainty;  it  is  impossible  to 
predict  the  quantity,  but,  whatever  the  flow,  it  will  more  than  compensate  for 
the  cost  of  tapping  it.  The  artesian  water  lies  at  from  1 00  to  500  feet  below 
the  surface ;  while  the  natural  springs  in  the  mountains  are  cold,  the  flowing 
wells  have  a  temperature  of  about  72  degrees,  which  fits  them  admirably  for 
irrigation  purposes.  The  geological  explanation  of  the  abundance  of  artesian 
water  is  that  the  streams  to  the  north,  as  well  as  the  accumulation  from  the 
adjacent  mountains,  find  subterranean  passage  through  the  valley  to  the  Colo- 
rado River.  Surface  water  may  be  reached  anywhere  at  from  1 0  to  70  feet, 


A  SHADY  NOOK  ON  A  LAS  VEGAS  RANCH. 


and  this  has  given  rise  to  irrigation  by  pumping.     Already  the  flowing  wells  in 
the  district  produce  water  sufficient  for  irrigating  some  8,000  acres. 

Hie  list  of  crops  that  may  be  grown  profitably  is  a  long  one.  Barley,  oats, 
rye  and  wheat  do  well,  wheat  yielding  about  40  bushels  per  acre.  Corn  grows 
ten  feet  high  and  runs  about  45  bushels  per  acre;  this  crop,  together  with 
sorghum  and  milo  maize,  may  be  matured  after  the  wheat  has  been  harvested. 
Potatoes  produce  200  bushels  per  acre.  All  garden  vegetables  thrive,  aspara- 
gus in  particular  attaining  the  highest  quality ;  sweet  potatoes  of  the  best  flavor 
yield  up  to  15  tons  per  acre.  Because  of  their  sweetness  cantaloupes  from 
the  valley  bring  the  fanciest  of  market  prices;  there  is  record  of  $900.00 
received  from  one  acre.  Casaba  melons  and  watermelons  from  this  region 
are  widely  known  for  their  size  and  flavor.  Gotten  has  been  grown  on  a  small 
scale  with  excellent  results.  Alfalfa,  with  six  cuttings  a  year,  yields  up  to  8 
tons  per  acre. 

The  fruit  produced  equals  the  best  in  any  section.  Peaches  ripen  both 
earlier  and  later  in  the  season  than  elsewhere,  and  apples  from  the  valley  have 
won  prizes  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Apricots,  figs,  pears,  plums,  pomegranates 
and  nectarines  are  successfully  cultivated;  almonds,  pecans  and  walnuts,  as 
well  as  raspberries,  blackberries  and  strawberries,  add  to  the  farmer's  income. 
Among  the  grapes  that  have  established  their  pre-eminence  by  high  sugar  con- 
tent are  Muscats  and  Flaming  Tokays. 

Dairying,  poultry  husbandry,  and  the  fattening  of  beef  and  pork,  are 
bound  to  prosper  where  there  is  pasturage  and  sunshine  throughout  the  year, 
in  addition  to  prolific  forage  crops.  On  the  adjacent  Moapa  National  Forest 
Reserve  there  is  a  vast  stand  of  timber,  largely  fir  and  pine. 

Mining  has  contributed  generously  to  the  wealth  of  the  region  surrounding 
Las  Vegas ;  gold,  silver,  lead,  zinc  and  copper  are  the  metals  mined  profitably. 
Searchlight  and  Eldorado  Canyon  are  heavy  producers  of  gold,  and  the  Good 
Springs  District  continues  to  lead  the  State  in  output  of  lead  and  zinc.  Granite, 
marble,  lime,  salt  and  pottery  clay  are  also  listed  among  the  riches  of  thfc 
section. 

Las  Vegas,  the  county  seat  and  the  site  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route  shops, 
is  an  enterprising  town  with  all  modern  city  conveniences.  Its  position  on  the 
main  line  of  a  transcontinental  railway  system  gives  it  easy  access  to  the  markets 
of  California,  Utah  and  the  East.  The  great  size  of  the  valley  and  the  almost 
unlimited  supply  of  artesian  water  opens  up  a  large  area  to  cultivation.  There 
is  some  government  land  to  be  had  and  private  lands  may  be  purchased  at  from 
$5.00  to  $100.00  per  acre.  As  an  agricultural  and  stockraising  district1  flvf 
Las  Vegas  Valley  has  a  most  promising  future. 


SOME  OF  THE  ARTESIAN  WELLS  IN  LAS  VEGAS  VALLEY. 


Markets 

,T^  FINE  field  of  standing  grain,  an  orchard  groaning  with  ripe  fruit,  a 
A  pen  resounding  with  the  discord  of  fat  hogs,  or  a  pasture  dotted  with 
£  \  sleek,  healthy  cattle,  are  proper  objects  of  pride  to  the  farmer  who 
•— ^  produced  them.  But  pride  is  not  necessarily  profitable,  and  the  farm 
products  were  not  grown  for  that  purpose.  The  farmer's  aim  is  to  place  them 
where  they  will  excite  desire  in  others,  where  the  miller,  commission  merchant 
and  packer  may  be  induced  to  express  their  desires  in  terms  of  dollars.  He 
must  send  his  products  to  the  markets ;  with  the  aid  of  the  railroad,  his  markets 
become  world-wide. 

Other  conditions  being  equal,  however,  the  nearest  market  should  be  the 
best,  and  this  applies  particularly  to  livestock,  the  condition  and  appearance 
of  which  are  likely  to  suffer  from  long  journeys.  The  Los  Angeles  packing 
houses  prefer  to  buy  Utah  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep,  yet  they  are  obliged  to  go 
farther,  to  Idaho  and  Wyoming,  even  to  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  Oklahoma, 
for  hogs,  because  the  farmers  of  Utah  are  not  prepared  to  meet  their  demands. 
This  statement  obtains  in  the  face  of  the  following  facts:  Alfalfa,  the  king 
of  forage  crops,  finds  in  the  arid  soil,  and  in  the  climate  of  Utah,  ideal  condi- 
tions for  growth.  Wheat,  barley,  rye  and  mangel  wurtzels  yield  generously 
on  both  dry  and  irrigated  farms.  The  climate,  with  an  almost  unbroken 
succession  of  sunshiny  days,  makes  unexcelled  conditions  for  fattening  livestock. 
Prior  to  1905,  or,  more  exactly,  before  the  completion  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Route,  the  Southern  California  markets  were  not  available.  It  has  taken 
the  stock-growers  some  time  to  perceive  the  opportunities  thus  afforded,  but 
there  is  abundant  evidence  that  they  are  no  longer  being  ignored. 


AN  IRRIGATING  DITCH,  LAS  VEGAS  VALLEY. 


BLOODED   STOCK  GROWN   ALONG  THE   SALT   LAKE   ROUTE. 

The  leading  sheep  counties  of  Utah  are  tributary  to  the  Salt  Lake  Route, 
Beaver,  Iron,  Tooele,  in  the  order  named.  Utah  sheep  average  6  to  8  pounds 
of  wool  at  each  shearing;  while  most  of  the  clip  goes  east,  there  are  home 
woolen  mills  whose  consumption  is  steadily  growing.  The  knitting  factories 
of  Utah  now  use  more  than  a  million  pounds  of  wool  annually.  Provo,  the 
location  of  the  largest  woolen  factory,  and  Draper,  where  J.  R.  Allen's  prize- 
winning  Cotswolds  are  bred,  are  towns  on  the  Salt  Lake  Route. 

Utah  sugar  beets  may  literally  be  sold  before  they  are  planted,  the  fac- 
tories contracting  for  the  entire  output.  The  demand  for  Utah  alfalfa  seed 
is  not  limited  by  the  confines  of  the  United  States;  it  is  heard  in  foreign  lands. 
The  cantaloupes  of  the  Moapa  Valley  are  disposed  of  on  the  spot,  to  agents 
of  eastern  commission  houses.  Many  vegetables,  such  as  tomatoes,  string  beans, 
peas  and  asparagus,  are  purchased  in  advance  by  Utah  canneries ;  great  quan- 
tities of  peaches,  pears,  apricots,  apples  and  berries  go  to  the  same  destination. 
Utah  dry-farm  wheat  has  been  known  to  gain  2J/2  per  cent  in  weight  while  in 
transit  to  eastern  mills.  Utah  celery  has  an  enviable  reputation,  while  Utah 
peaches  are  shipped  to  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  to  Europe.  A  year's 
consumption  of  barley  by  Utah  breweries  exceeds  $66,000.00  in  value,  and 
more  than  two  million  bushels  of  wheat  are  ground  annually  in  her  flour  and 
grist  mills. 

Poultry  and  eggs  comprise  16.3  per  cent  of  all  the  animal  products  in 
the  United  States ;  poultry  husbandry  is  now  taught  in  ten  agricultural  colleges. 
This  industry  thrives  in  the  equable,  sunny  climate  of  Utah,  and  one  will  search 
long  before  he  finds  plump  pullets  and  fresh  eggs  begging  for  purchasers. 

The  Traffic  Department  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route  has  voluntarily  under- 
taken much  of  the  marketing  along  its  lines;  this  function  is  of  considerable 
value,  particularly  to  the  farmer  whose  capital  and  output  are  small.  Traffic 
officials  continually  meet  buyers  and  sellers;  through  their  information  and 
agency  deals  are  consummated  quickly,  while,  unaided,  producer  and  purchaser 
might  experience  delay  and  difficulty.  The  company  stands  ready  to  perform 
these  services  at  all  times,  pointing  out  to  the  farmer  where  he  may  make  a  satis- 


factory  bargain,  indicating  to  packer,  miller  or  commission  merchant  where  his 
requirements  may  be  met.  Transactions  of  this  nature  do  not  invariably  bring 
revenue  to  the  railroad  making  the  suggestion;  they  are  promoted  upon  the 
broad  policy  of  aiding  in  every  reasonable  way  the  development  of  the  resources 
of  the  inter-mountain  region. 

It  is  believed  that  the  realignment  of  ocean  traffic  and  the  creation  of  new 
steamer  lines  to  follow  the  opening,  of  the  Panama  Canal  will  revolutionize  the 
commerce  of  many  regions.  Surely  none  will  profit  more  than  the  ports  of 
Southern  California,  Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego.  This  stimulus  %will  not  be 
local,  however,  nor  can  California  alone  satisfy  the  needs  thus  brought  into 
being;  Nevada  and  Utah,  if  they  be  prepared,  may  also  participate  in  the 
ensuing  expansion  of  trade. 

Wkat  tke  Salt  Lake  Route  Is  Doing  for  trie  Farmer 

JOTEWORTHY  among  the  efforts  made  by  the  Salt  Lake  Route  to 
aid  and  encourage  the  farmers  along  its  line  is  the  annual  demonstration 
train.    -The  company  supplies  equipment  and  commissary,  together  with 
the  services  of  its  agricultural  expert  and  traffic  officials,  while  the  Utah 
Agricultural  College  furnishes  exhibits  and  lecturers. 

Due  notice  and  invitation  having  been  sent  to  the  persons  interested,  the 
demonstration  train  starts  from  Salt  Lake  City  in  the  spring,  a  season  at  which 
its  activities  are  of  greatest  value.  Practically  every  station  on  the  Salt  Lake 
Route,  as  far  south  as  Moapa,  Nev.,  has  an  opportunity  to  inspect  its  contents. 
Stop  is  made  at  each  point  where  an  audience  of  sufficient  size  may  be  gathered. 

Special  features  are  sometimes  emphasized.  During  the  last  tour  the 
following  topics  were  given  marked  attention:  The  measurement  and  proper 
use  of  irrigation  water ;  dairying  and  silo  building ;  the  livestock  industry.  The 
exhibits  comprised  farm  equipment,  irrigation  pumps  and  engines,  weirs  and 
other  measuring  devices;  a  model  silo,  with  charts  and  photographs  of  dairy 
farms,  hog  houses,  etc. ;  sanitary  milk  buckets,  bottles  and  strainers ;  samples 
of  nearly  all  feeds  used  in  the  West;  a  model  irrigation  project;  exhibits  of 
grass  seeds;  a  car  of  prize  hogs  and  cattle.  Those  in  charge  of  the  train  dis- 
tributed thousands  of  valuable  bulletins  and  circulars;  the  lectures  dealt  with 
subjects  of  particular  interest  to  the  sections  in  which  they  were  delivered. 

Similar  in  aim  and  usefulness  are  the  demonstration  farms  at  various 
points  along  the  Salt  Lake  Route.  The  most  recent  discoveries  in  agronomy 
are  applied  to  the  soil  and  conditions  peculiar  to  a  given  tract.  By  careful  ex- 
periment, experts  determine  what  plants  the  soil  will  nourish  best,  the  most 
advantageous  time  for  sowing,  depth  to  which  the  soil  should  be  tilled,  and 
methods  of  moisture  conservation.  The  results  are  given  to  the  community, 
and  when  a  skeptic  is  encountered  there  is  no  argument  so  potent  as  the  testi- 
mony of  his  own  eyes. 

The  Salt  Lake  Route  employs  the  services  of  an  agricultural  expert,  Pro- 
fessor L.  A.  Merrill,  whose  headquarters  are  at  Salt  Lake  City.  His  advice 
and  counsel  are  open  to  the  homeseeker  as  well  as  to  the  farmer  already  on  the 


land;  there  are  neither  fees  nor  formalities  connected  with  the  securing  of  his 
opinion.  Personal  interviews  are  solicited  and  letters  of  inquiry  will  be  an- 
swered promptly.  Bulletins  dealing  with  problems  that  confront  the  settler 
are  issued  from  time  to  time  by  the  company.  The  Salt  Lake  Route  has  no 
land  to  sell;  its  interest  lies  in  developing  a  region  of  wonderful  promise,  and 
in  serving  the  great  markets  at  its  terminals. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  bulletins  issued  by  the  Industrial  Department 
of  the  Salt  Lake  Route,  copies  of  which  may  be  had  en  application  to  officers 
of  the  company: 

Bulletin   No.   99 — Suggestions  on  Dry  Farming. 

Bulletin  No.    101 — Homeseekers,  Attention! 

Bulletin   No.    1  03 — How  to  Retain  Soil  Moisture. 

Bulletin  No.    105— Why  Grow  Barley? 

Bulletin   No.    107 — Rational  Use  of  Water  in  Irrigation. 

Bulletin   No.    1 09 — Raising  and  Marketing  of  Stock. 

How  Land  M.ay  Be  Acquired  From  trie  Government 

,-^iELOW  is  a  brief  outline  of  the  provisions  of  the  laws  covering  the 

l-£      acquirement  of  government  lands  in  Utah. 

I  J  1 .  The  original  Homestead  Act,  still  in  force,  enables  a  qualified 

1  '  entryman  to  acquire  1  60  acres  of  unoccupied  government  land.  The 
requirements  are:  residence  upon  the  tract  for  a  period  of  three  years;  cultiva- 
tion of  one-sixteenth  of  the  entry,  beginning  with  the  second  year,  and  one- 
eighth,  beginning  with  the  third  year  and  continuing  until  period  of  residence  is 


ENORMOUS  FLOW  FROM  A  LAS  VEGAS  ARTESIAN  WELL 


completed,  when  title  may  be  secured.      The  filing  fees  on  an  entry  of  this  sort 
are  $16. 00. 

2.  Under  the  Enlarged  Homestead  Act,  a  qualified  entryman  may  appear 
before  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  land  office  in  the  county  selected,  and  file 
upon  not  more  than  320  acres  of  arid  territory  that  has  been  designated  by  the 
government  as  homestead  land.      If  the  homeseeker  is  competent  to  do  his  own 
locating  the  only  expense  is  the  filing  fee  of  $22.00;  if  he  knows  little  of  soil 
or  conditions  the  services  of  a  reputable  land  locator  should  be  enlisted.      The 
fees  for  locating  vary  from  $50.00  to  $125.00,  according  to  size  of  entry,  etc. 
After  filing,  residence  upon  the  land  must  be  taken  up  within  six  months.      Be- 
ginning with  the  second  year,  one-sixteenth  of  the  total  acreage  must  be  culti- 
vated; beginning  with,   and  continuing  thru  the  third  year,  one-eighth  of  the 
total  entry  must  be  cultivated.      The  government  defines  cultivation  as:    the 
plowing  and  seeding  of  the  land  to  some  crop  other  than  native  grasses.      During 
the  three  years  of  proof  the  entryman  must  not  leave  the  land  for  longer  than 
five  continuous  months  in  any  one  year.      These  conditions  complied  with,  the 
entry  becomes  the  property  of  the  settler. 

3.  The  above  mentioned  act  also  provides  for  the  acquisition  of  not  to 
exceed  320  acres  of  arid  land,  to  which  title  may  be  obtained  without  resi- 
dence.     The  locating  and  filing  is  done  in  the  same  manner  as  on  residence 
land.      The  entryman  is  required  to  have  cultivated  one-eighth  of  his  acreage 
beginning  with  the  second  year,  and  one-fourth  beginning  with  the  third  year; 
one-fourth  must  be  continuously  cultivated  until  the  end  of  the  fifth  year,  when 
title  may  be  secured,  provided  the  entryman  has  personally  supervised  culti- 
vation.     The  intent  of  the  law  is  that  the  owner  should  show  good  faith;  if  it 
be    established    that    he   visited    the    farm    at    regular   intervals    and   assumed 
responsibility    for  the   tilling   and  planting,    there  should  be  no   difficulty   in 
perfecting  title. 


SALT  LAKE  ROUTE  EXPERIMENTAL  FARM  AT  NADA,  UTAH. 


In  connection  with  the  above,  it  should  be  noted  that  on  non-residence 
land,  the  proportion  of  entire  entry  to  be  cultivated  is  double  that  required 
when  three  years'  residence  is  maintained. 

4.  The  Carey  Act  enabled  the  Federal  Government  to  give  the  semi-arid 
states  1 ,000000  acres  each,  with  the  provision  that  the  states  cause  their 
reclamation  by  irrigation  and  settlement.  The  land  is  sold  to  responsible 
companies  under  guarantee  to  deliver  sufficient  irrigation  water,  at  prices 
regulated  by  the  state.  At  Delta,  Utah,  on  the  line  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route, 
some  Carey  Act  land,  with  perpetual  water  right,  remains  for  sale  at  $50.00 
per  acre.  These  farms  are  sold  upon  the  installment  plan,  the  terms  being 
extremely  liberal. 

The  cost  of  preparing  virgin  soil  for  seed  varies  with  location;  it  is 
estimated  that  $8.00  per  acre  represents  a  high  maximum  for  this  work. 

With  the  exception  of  Carey  Act  land,  that  offered  by  the  Government 
must  be  cultivated  largely  by  dry-farm  methods.  While  these  lands  do  not 
yield  as  prolifically  as  irrigated  farms,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  initial 
cost  is  nominal.  Prof.  Widtsoe,  probably  the  foremost  authority  upon  this 
system  of  farming,  says  in  favor  of  dry-farm  wheat:  "  1,000, 000  bushels 
of  Utah  dry-farm  wheat  contain  as  much  nutritive  matter  as  1 ,025,000  bushels 
of  wheat  grown  and  kept  under  humid  conditions.  This  difference 
is  now  recognized  in  the  prices  paid."  This  obviously  means  that  Utah 
dry-farm  wheat  brings  a  premium  from  millers.  It  is  estimated  by  the  same 
authority  that  a  yield  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  bushels  per  acre  will  defray  dry- 
farming  expenses,  that  20  bushels  per  acre  gives  a  fair  profit,  and  that  40 
bushels  per  acre  amounts  to  a  bonanza. 

Below  is  given  a  list  of  railroad  officials,  land  companies,  civic  organiza- 
tions, etc.,  to  whom  applications  concerning  location  of  lands  open  to  entry, 
irrigated  lands,  and  patented  lands,  may  be  made. 


STACKING  ALFALFA  ON  THE  LINE  OF  THE  SALT  LAKE  ROUTE 


California.,  "Land  of  the  Sun 

\Y  WOULD  be  impossible  to  take  up  more  than  briefly  in  a  publica- 
tion of  this  sort  the  wonders  and  beauties  of  Southern  California. 

Her  history  of  development  has  already  been  written  in  both 
song  and  story,  but  it  is  impossible  to  pass  entirely  over  this  section 
of  lands  tributary  to  the  Salt  Lake  Route  without  a  few  words  regarding 
them. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  Southern  California  counties  traversed  by 
the  Salt  Lake  Route  are  given  over  to  the  production  of  citrus  fruits  and 
other  semi-tropic  products.  The  value  of  the  crops  from  these  vast  acreages 
has  become  phenomenal  and  consequently  land  values  have  advanced  in 
proportion.  There  are  still,  however,  opportunities  even  for  the  man  of 
moderate  means  to  take  up  the  culture  of  this  class  of  products. 

Scattered  throughout  this  entire  section  of  California  are  many  beauti- 
fully located  small  ranches  which  pay  an  excellent  revenue  to  their  owners. 
These  are  devoted  to  deciduous  fruits,  berries,  winter  vegetables  and  many 
other  classes  of  products  which  thrive  in  the  mild  climate  of  the  Southland. 
Everything  is  of  course  produced  by  irrigation  and  the  resultant  yield  is  enor- 
mous when  compared  with  the  figures  given  for  acreage  production  in  the 
Eastern  states. 

Poultry  raising,  where  carried  on  under  careful  and  scientific  methods, 
is  one  of  the  most  successful  industries  in  Southern  California.  Prices  for 
this  class  of  products  range  high  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  with  a  market 
that  has  never  been  fully  supplied  by  local  production. 

Outside  of  the  great  valleys  given  over  principally  to  fruit  culture  are 
many  tributary  sections  lying  at  elevations  where  there  is  more  or  less  frost 
and  in  these  higher  sections  are  many  large  tracts  of  land  formerly  occupied 
by  great  ranches  that  are  now  being  cut  up  into  small  holdings.  All  classes 


CALIFORNIA  APPLES  ALONG  THE  SALT  LAKE  ROUTE 


SOME  WELLS  ON  THE  MESAS  OF  THE  MOJAVE 


of  temperate  zone  products  thrive  wonderfully  in  these  sections  and  many 
homeseekers  have  gone  thither  to  build  up  future  prosperity  in  the  Land  of 
Sunshine.  Climatically  these  higher  elevations  present  splendid  attractions 
and  beyond  the  fact  that  they  are  not  suitable  for  the  production  of  citrus 
fruits,  are  the  peers  of  any  country  in  the  world.  In  these  localities  large 
fortunes  are  being  developed  through  the  raising  of  alfalfa  and  the  use  of  the 
same  in  the  fattening  of  livestock  for  market,  and  the  raising  of  blooded 
horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs. 

<Tkc  Mesas  of  trie  Mojave 

E  Cucamonga  Mountains  of  the  San  Bernardino  Range  furnish  an 
enormous  watershed  which  supplies  a  great  amount  of  water  to  the 
underground  reservoirs  of  this  slope  and  a  study  of  the  geographic 
conditions  show  that  practically  all  of  this  water  will  be  available 
from  wells.  This,  together  with  the  large  water-diverting  and  conserving 
works  to  be  put  in  by  companies,  will  place  practically  all  of  the  first-class 
land  available  for  irrigation,  which  means  intensive  farming  in  all  its  phases, 
and  in  this  connection  comes  the  raising  of  winter  apples  which  are  equal  to 
those  produced  in  the  northern  and  eastern  states.  The  Gano,  Winesap, 
Winter  Sweets,  Delicious,  and  King  David  varieties  do  extra  well  and  are 


PRIZE  WINNING  ORCHARD,  VICTOR  VALLEY 


RANCH  HOMES  IN  VICTOR  VALLEY 


exceptionally  good  keepers,  many  of  the  orchardists  keeping  these  winter 
apples  without  proper  storage  facilities  until  apples  are  ripe  the  following 
season.  The  fact  that  nearly  all  of  this  country  is  underlaid  with  a  clay 
subsoil  has  proven  that  a  minimum  of  water  only  is  required,  thereby  giving 
die  settler  the  benefit  of  having  to  provide  only  a  small  supply. 

Upon  these  northern  slopes  there  lie  nearly  a  half  million  acres  of 
extremely  fertile  soil.  This  territory  stretches  from  the  mesas  well  up  on  the 
range  and  at  an  elevation  of  3100  feet  down  across  the  various  levels  to 
where  the  Mojave  River  disappears  among  the  ever  shifting  sands.  Its  whole 
area  is  approximately  ninety  miles  in  length,  and  through  its  center  flowi 
the  Mojave  River,  which  is  the  most  permanent  water  supply  in  Southern 
California. 

At  the  northern  end  of  this  area  there  has  been  some  little  development, 
with  prospects  that  a  reasonably  large  acreage  will  ultimately  be  developed 
there. 

Midway  and  near  to  the  Salt  Lake  Route  Station  of  Harvard  a  few 
enterprising  ranchers  have  located  upon  Government  land  and  are  proceed- 
ing to  develop  wells  and  bring  their  lands  to  a  producing  condition. 

Upon  either  side  of  the  Mojave  River  for  the  first  forty- five  miles  of 
its  course  the  land  rises  in  a  series  of  mesas,  or  natural  terraces,  each  one 
of  these  various  elevations  being  shut  in  by  foothills,  thus  forming  a  series 
of  exceptionally  beautiful  little  valleys. 

Underlying  the  greater  portion  of  this  territory  a  water  plane  of  definite 
altitude  has  been  established.  The  result  has  been  that  during  the  last  three 
years  the  development  of  this  section  known  as  Victor  Valley  has  been  rapid 
and  permanent.  Hundreds  of  wells  have  been  drilled,  among  which  the 
percentage  of  failures  has  been  practically  nothing.  The  water  lift  in  these 
wells  varies  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  and  a  practical  dem- 


YOUNG  ORCHARD  IN  BEARING,  VICTOR  VALLEY 


VICTOR  VALLEY  POULTRY   RANCH 


ONE  OF  VICTOR  VALLEY'S  GREAT  WELLS 


onstration  upon  one  of  the  highest  elevations  proves  that  water  can  be  placed 
upon  these  Victor  Valley  lands  at  a  minimum  cost  of  $15.00  per  acre  for 
well  drilling,  equipment  and  distribution  system,  with  a  total  annual  cost  for 
delivering  water  to  the  land  from  not  to  exceed  $5.00  per  acre.  Upon  the 
lower  levels  the  original  cost  would  be  considerably  less  and  the  operating 
expense  proportionate.  In  some  of  the  sections  of  the  Valley,  close  to  the 
river  bed,  artesian  water  has  been  found. 

With  these  advantages  Victor  Valley  has  attracted  the  attention  of  a 
great  many  settlers  of  means  and  the  success  which  they  have  achieved  in  the 
short  time  their  lands  have  been  under  cultivation  is  proof  positive  of  what 
the  future  means  for  this  entire  section. 

The  soils  of  Victor  Valley  are  of  a  decomposed  granite  and  capable 
of  producing  anything  grown  in  other  sections  of  Southern  California  with 
the  exception  of  citrus  fruits.  As  stated  in  the  beginning  of  this  article, 
apples  are  at  the  present  a  crop  to  which  the  most  attention  has  been  given. 
In  this  line  fruit  from  the  Victor  Valley  carried  off  the  highest  honors  in  the 
State  Apple  Show  at  San  Francisco,  October,  1914. 

Like  many  other  sections  of  the  Southwest,  alfalfa  is  being  extensively 
cultivated,  while  poultry  raising  and  small  fruits  have  also  brought  success 
to  Victor  Valley  ranchers. 

One  of  the  chief  assets  of  this  section  is  its  magnificent  climate,  which 
offers  just  enough  of  cold  and  heat  so  that  neither  becomes  a  burden  and  the 
minimum  of  humidity  leaves  the  year  filled  with  bright,  sunshiny  days,  and 
but  a  few  stormy  ones. 

There  are  still  many  excellent  opportunities  for  the  husbandman  in  this 
part  of  California.  Relinquishments  of  excellent  Government  land  within 
the  known  water  area  can  be  purchased  for  prices  ranging  from  $5.00  to 
$25.00  per  acre.  In  some  of  the  more  remote  sections  of  the  Valley  it  is 
still  possible  to  secure  good  locations  upon  exceptionally  promising  Govern- 
ment land. 


^JMflBk 


,5 


WHEAT  STACKS  ALONG  THE  SALT  LAKE  ROUTE 


HOULD  you  desire  information  regard- 
ing train  service,  rates  of  fare,  etc.,  to 
Southern  California,  Utah  or  Nevada,  it 
will  be  promptly  furnished  upon  applica- 
tion to  any  ticket  (agent  or  the  following 
representatives  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route: 


M.  de  Brabant,  General  Agent,  Woolworth  Bldg.,  New  York. 

Geo.   M.   Sargent,   General  Agent,   808—112  W.   Adams  St., 
Chicago. 

W.  J.  Bogert,  General  Agent,  819  Oliver  Bldg.,  Pittsburgh. 

E.  B.  Erwin,  General  Agent,  823  1  7th  St.,  Denver,  Colorado. 

A.  H.  Heilbronner,  T.  F.  &  P.  A.,  State  Savings  Bank  Bldg., 
Butte,  Montana. 

J.  H.  Manderfield,  Asst.  General  Freight  and  Passenger  Agent, 
10  E.  3d  South  St.,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

L.  A.  Casey,  General  Agent,  643  Market  St.,  San  Francisco. 

J.  H.  Burtner,  District  Freight  and  Passenger  Agent,  Glenwood 
Block,  Riverside,  Cal. 

F.  H.  Adams,  General  Agent,  601    South  Spring  St.,  Los  An- 

geles, Cal. 

Prof.  L.  A.  Merrill,  Agricultural  Expert,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

Douglas  White,  General  Industrial  Agent,  590  Pacific  Electric 
Bldg.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

H.  C.  NUTT,  General  Manager 
F.  A.  WANN,         T.  M.  SLOAN,         T.  C.  PECK, 


General  Traffic  Manager 
Los  Angeles 


General  Freight  Agent 
Los  Angeles 


General  Passenger  Agent 
Los  Angeles 


•:& 


y-vJ^t^sP^ 

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IREGAR^ING  OPPORTUNITIES 

p//   -^wi*         />? 

ffAH,  NEVADA  ^/r</  CALIFORNIA 


SALT  LAKE  R.R. 


